Track-laying machine.



A. L. PBASLBY.

TRACK LAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAlm'r. 1911.

Patented May 30, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. L. PEASLEY.

TRACK LAYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17' 1911.

Patented May 30, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. L. PEASLEY. V TRACK LAYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1911.

993,869, v Patented May 30, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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ALBERT I4. PEASLEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TRACK-LAYING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 17, 1911. Serial No. 603,120.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. PEAsLnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Track-Laying Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention rovides a machine specially designed to farm itate the construction of railroads and to materially reduce the cost, said machine embodying means whereby the rails may be handled with ease,

. placed in position, properly spaced and secured to the ties 1n a rapid and effective manner, the machine embodying pneumatic drivers for forcing the spikes home into the ties, said pneumatic dIIVQIS being adjustable longitudinally and transversely of the -machine so that the spikes may be driven or forced into the ties upon opposite sides of the rails without requiring movement of the truck or machine-as a whole except when it is required to advance the machine from one tie to the other.

The invention consists of the novel features, details of construction and combination of parts, which hereinafter will be more particularly set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referrin to the drawings, forming apart of the application, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view. Fig.5 is a vertical central longitudinal section'of the machine, parts being broken away. Fig. 6 is a top plan view 'of the spike holder and guide, showing the same in position. Fi 7 is a sectional 'view on theline 77 0 Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view of a portion of the frame, the spike driver, thecarrier therefor, and the operating lever.

Corresponding and like arts are referred to 'in the following description, and indicated in all the views of the drawings, by the same reference characters.

The machine is in the nature of a truck, which is constructed to operate upon the rails of a track or railroad which is in course.of construction. The truck consists of a platform 1,'front and rear axles 2 and 3 and supporting wheels lat the ends of the axles, the latter being mounted in hanged to engage Patented May 30, 1911.

ers forming a part of the framework of i the truck. An engine 5 of any variety, preferably of the explosive type, is mounted upon the truck for driving the latter and operating an air om ressor 6. Air tanks 7 are mounted upon t e truck and contain air under pressure and are preferably charged by means of the air compressor 6. The several parts are arranged upon the platform so as to distribute the weight. Rollers 8 are mounted upon parts of the truck below the platform 1 and are intended to support rails when passing the same from in rear of the machine to a point in front thereof. A crane 9 located in front of the machine and connected thereto so as to swing laterally is rovided with a carrier 10, which receives t e rail and holds the same during the operation of positioning the rail upon the ties preliminary to fastening it to the ties. The carrier 10 may be of any construction and is mounted to move upon the crane 9, the latter being supported by means of a brace 11, which is attached to the forward end of the crane and secured at its rear end to a standard 12 rising from the front portion of the truck.

The machine embodies means for properly spacing the rails, said means consisting of bars 13, to gle levers 14, an operating lever 15 and guit les 16. The bars 13 are mounted to slide horizontally in. sleeves formed at the lower ends of the guides 16 and their outer ends are ada ted 'to engage the inner sides of the webs o? the rails 17. The operating lever 15 is connected by means of a bar 18 with the toggle levers 14 so that movement of the lever 15 will cause the bars 13 to slide outwardly or inwardly. When the outer end of the lever 15 is moved downward and the toggle levers are caused to aline with the bars 13, the latter are pressed outward to the limit of their movement and engage with the webs of the rails 17 and properly space the latter.

Securing means are provided for holding the truck upon the track in the desired position, the securing means being the same upon opposite sides of the truck and adaptthe ends of a tie. The means for fastening the truck embody a grapple 19, a screw 20, and a hand nut 21, the screw 20 being supported in a cross piece 22 mounted upon the truck. It is to be understood that the securing means are 'dllPlI-r cated uponopposite sides of the machine to fasten the same to the road bed upon opposite sides of the track.

I justable longitudinally and laterally of the machine to admit of properly positioning the driver so as toengage the head of the spike. The carrier 24 is hollow and consists of a vertically disposed sleeve having a front arm 25 and a rear' arm 26, the two arms 25 and 26 being in longitudinal aline-- ment and supporting the carrier in a manner to admit of lateral and vertical adjustment thereof. The cross piece 22 has its'end portions cut away to provide spaced mem bers 27 and 28 between'which the carrier 24 is mounted. Each of the members 27 and 28 has a horizontal opening 29 to receive the respective arms 25 and 26 of the carrier.

The parts 27 and 28 constitute supports for the carrier to admit of its varying longitudinal and lateral movements. be remembered that the end portion of each tie receives two spikes which are located upon opposite sides of the rail, said spikes being located so as not to aline transversely of the rail, one spike being set in advance of the other. When the machine is set to drive the spikes into a tie it will be readily understood that the driver after forcing one spike home must be shifted laterally to the opposite side of the .rail and longitudinally of said rail .in order to bring it in position for driving the second spike into the same tie, hence the advantage of mounting the carrier 24 so as to move the same longitudinally and laterally. An operating lever 29 is pivotally supported at 30 to a standard 31 connected with the outer end of the arm 25 and said lever has a portion between its ends constructed to receive the spike driver 23, said portion being longitudinally slotted upon opposite sides to receive pins 31 projecting from opposite sides of the spike driver. Upward movement of the rear or free end of the lever 29' lifts the spike driver and lateral movement of said lever moves the driver and carrier transversely and longitudinal movement of the lever throws the driver and its carrier forwardly or rearwardlyinto the required position. Flexible length of the connection admits air into the cylinder and is adapted to be controlled by.

means of a hand piece 34 mounted upon the outer end of the lever 29 and connected with a handle or arm of the valve 33 so as to open .or close said valve as may be required.

A spike holder and guide is provided for receiving the two spikes to be driven into It should wheels connected thereto.

' the end portions, of the ties. The spike holder and guide is formed to sit astraddle of the rail and has vertically disposed guide members arranged the one in advance of the other in, which the spikes are placed. -The combined spike guide and holder comprises -a cross piece 35, which is adapted to rest upon the head of the rail 17 and vertical sleeves 36 at the ends of the cross piece and arranged the one in advance of, the other.

The spikes 37 are placed in the sleeves 36.

and are held against the outer wall of said sleeves by means of springs 38, which are connected at one end to the inner walls of the sleeves and have their opposite ends pressing against the inner side of the spikes. The spike holders are placed in position so as 'to receive and hold the spikes in place.

, In the operation of the invention the machine is mounted upon the track in course of construction or to .be repaired and is moved by means of the engine 5, which is connected with one of the axles to drive the 'After the machine is moved to place it is fastened to the ties by means of the securing means herein described. The spike holders and guides are placed in position and spikes are inserted into the sleeves 36 thereof. The drivers are adjustable to bring the driving tools there ,of in position to engage the heads of the spikes to be driven, this being accomplished by proper manipulation of the levers 29. After the drivers have been properly located the outer ends of the-levers 29 are held depressed and the valves 33 opened to 'permit compressed air passing into the cylinders of the drivers to force the spikeshome into the tie. After one of the spikes has been forced home the valve 33 is operated and the driver lifted and moved into position to engage the spike upon the opposite side of the rail when the operation just described is repeated. After the spikes .have been driven into one tie the machine is released and moved forward into position to drive the spikes into the next tie. When constructing a railroad the rails are brought forward upon the track already constructed loaded upon a truck, the rails being moved to aposition in front of the machine by passing the same beneath the truck thereof, said rails being supported upon the rollers 8 and after the rails have been moved to a position in front of the machine the crane 9 is brought into, operation to' move the rails into proper position upon the ties, after which the machine is. advanced in the manner stated to secure the rails-to the ties. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

While the grapple 19 and screw, 20 serve primarily to secure the truck in place they also operate to hold the tie close up against the under side of the rails when driving the spikes home. This is of advantage in cases where the ties are spaced from the rails or where the bed is soft and the spikes could not ordinarily be driven home so as to secure the rails and ties. 1

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

1. In a track laying machine, the combination with a truck, of a spike driver mounted upon the truck, a mount for the spike driver movable upon the truck verticall laterally and longitudinally, and means or moving the mount in the several directions.

2. In a track laying machine, the combination of a supporting frame, a spike driver movable vertically, a carrier for the spike driver mounted upon said sup orting frame and adjustable longitudinal y and transversely thereof, and means for moving the spike driver vertically, laterally and longitudinally of the supporting frame.

3. In a'track laying machine,the combinatlon of a supporting framework, a carrier mounted upon the supporting framework and movable longitudinally and transversely thereof, a spike driver movable vertically upon the carrier, and means for moving the carrier and spike driver, whereby the latter is movable vertically, laterally and longi-.

tudinally.

4. In a track laying machine, the combination of a supporting framework embodying spaced members, and a spike driver arranged between said spaced members of the supporting framework and having front and rear arms su ported by said spaced members to move 0th longitudinally and laterally thereof.

5. In a track laying machine, the combination of a supporting framework, a vertically disposed s ike driver mounted to move vertically an horizontally, an'operating lever having a portion embracing opposite sides of the spike driver, and connecting means between the spike driver and spaced portions of the operating levers to admit of a limited relative play.

v 6. In a track laying machine, the combination of a supportin framework, a carrier mounted upon the ramework and free to move longitudinally and laterally thereof, a spike driver mounted in said carrier to move therewith and havingan independent vertical movement, an o erating lever mounted upon said carrier, an connecting means between'the operating lever and spike driver to admit of the various adjustments of the spike driver and carrier.

7. In a track laying machine, the combination of a sup orting framework, a spike driver mounted upon the supporting framework and movable vertically and horizontall an operating lever connected with the spi e driver for moving the same, a tubing connected with the spike driver for supplying motive medium thereto and having a valve in the length thereof, and a ban piece mounted upon the operating lever'and connected with said valve for operating the latter.

8. In a track laying machine, the combination of a supporting framework comprising horizontally slotted spaced members, a carrier having front and rear arms mounted in the horizontal slots of said spaced members, a spike driver mounted in said carrier and movable vertically, and an operating lever mounted upon one of the arms of the carrier and having loose connection with the spike driver.

9. In a track laying machine, the combmation of a supporting framework embodying a platform and provided with spike driving ALBERT L. PEASLEY.

Witnesses:

ASA M. NEW, E. S. FOLKERTH. 

